


The Cleanup

by ChewieDaniels



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alexandria Safe-Zone, Angst, Caryl, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s06e09 No Way Out, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Panic Attacks, Protective Daryl, Season 6 Episode 9, carol peletier - Freeform, daryl dixon - Freeform, hurt carol, injured carol, rick grimes - Freeform, the walking dead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 03:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7249954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChewieDaniels/pseuds/ChewieDaniels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The safe-zone had done so well, they had survived the wolf pack, and the herd of walkers but can Carol survive Morgan? Carol is found after Morgan slams her to the ground during their fight in the season 6 mid-season finale. </p><p>Daryl is not happy about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cleanup

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is my first fic and I'm really nervous about it (I have literally been writing it since the mid-season premiere had aired but have been too scared to post it) I've re-read this but I'm bound to have misspelled something so let me know if you spot anything! Also, I'm British so I really hope it doesn't sound British if that makes sense or if there's any British terms that have managed too sneak there way in, so let me know if so! 
> 
> So like I said, it's set in season 6, episode 9 but not actually canon to everything that happens there, the main thing being that Carl doesn't get shot in the eye and there are minimal casualties.
> 
> Disclaimer: I neither own nor profit from The Walking Dead. This is fanfiction written for entertainment purposes only.

The cleanup had started just as daylight started to peak in the sky with everyone pitching in to make Alexandria safe again. Well, those that could still be accounted for were helping as some still hadn’t been seen, they might not have survived the herd or they could be trapped in their hideaways due to the build up of walker bodies. Rick and a few others were going through and checking each of the houses for survivors or stray walkers.

The team had almost finished the house checks and luckily the majority of the town members remained unharmed, it all seemed a little too perfect when Rick made his way to one of the final houses. This one was under construction so he assumed that it would be unlikely to find anyone in here, he was making his way up the stairs to enter through the main door when he heard yelling. A hand on his gun, he paused and listened. It was coming from inside the house but downstairs.

“Rick!” was that Tara? Rick thought as he looked around for the source.

“Down here, dumbass.” _Ah, I see Rosita is keeping Tara company wherever they are_ , Rick thought.

“You both can come out now, the herd is gone, it’s safe out but we sure could use your help with checking the perimeter for walkers or enemies.” Rick yelled down the stairs that led to the cellar.

“That would be a nugatory, Rick. You see we are currently stuck down here not only with this locked metal gate leading us out from the cellar into sweet civilization but I don’t believe it to be wise to lift the two casualties we have down here before we have a full medical examination.” Eugene explained.

Rick’s mind instantly went to the thought that Tara and Rosita must be hurt. “Don’t worry we’ll get you three outta there.” Rick caught Daryl’s eye as he just made an exit from the house he’s done checking and waved him over. “You three just stay calm and—“

“Five.” Eugene interrupted. “There are currently five of us down here right now. Tara, Rosita, and myself, along with Morgan and Carol…our casualties.”

Daryl walked up to hear the end of Eugene’s sentence. “Carol? Carol’s down there and she’s hurt? What the hell happened to her?!” Daryl demanded as he sprinted down the steps to the make-shift jail cell gate. “Rick, you got a set of keys for this, open it!”

Rick suddenly pulled out of trance, how could Morgan and Carol get hurt in a locked room? His hand went to his belt loops and lifted his set of keys off of the clip, finding the key to unlock the door.

Tara answered Rick’s internal question; “we walked in from the garage and one of the Wolf men was in here, he took Denise at gunpoint outside…straight into the walkers.” Rick unlocked the gate and Tara stepped passed him attempting to head to the stairs but Rick stopped her. “I need to go. I-I need to see if she’s alive, the bastard took her into the herd and I’m gonna find him.” as she tried to fight his hold.

“Whoa hold on now, you need to tell me what happened to Carol and Morgan, how are they hurt? Why were they hurt? Because I’m having a hard time figuring out how two of the toughest people I know have came to be unconscious on the floor by the hands of a single Wolf guy. Tara, Denise is fine. She’s at the infirmary checking people’s injuries. So far no major ones so I need you to go get her and bring her straight here. No stopping, this is priority.” Tara quickly made her exit, sprinting when she got to the stairs.

While this conversation was happening, as soon as the gate opened for Daryl he pushed his way in. He needed to see her for himself, he needed to know that she was still breathing; he needed to know that she was still with him and he needed to hold her so she wouldn’t leave him anytime soon. However, when Daryl did catch sight of her he paused, she looked like she was sleeping and he couldn’t see anything physically wrong with her at the moment, no blood, no broken bones, no nothing. Then why was she still unconscious? As he carefully knelt down by Carol’s head he checked for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief then he felt that beautiful heartbeat, he heard Rosita informing Rick that Carol and Morgan were unconscious on the ground when they first walked in here and they haven’t moved a muscle since and that was hours ago so it must have been some fight. She thinks that the guy from the Wolf gang done it but she can’t figure out how he got both of them. His mind going back to Carol, he was about to lift her head so he can hold her so she would be more comfortable until they were able to move her somewhere better when Eugene interjected;

“I wouldn’t move her if I were you. Judging by the colouration of her skin, it looks like burst blood vessels on her neck and shoulders travelling to what I can assume to be the entire of her back and her current position it looks to me like a full force blow to the back of her body, more importantly her spine. Now if you were to move her without a proper medical examination then you run the risk of causing paralysis to any part of that woman’s body.”

Daryl’s blood boiled as he settled for the safest option of holding Carol’s hand and stroking the hair from her face, begging her to wake up, to come back to him. He was going to kill the bastard that did this to her. 

Tara had arrived with Denise and Abraham as an extra hand, giving Daryl a minute with Carol she looked over Morgan first, concluding that the head injury wasn’t fatal but due to the length of time he’s been unconscious he will need to be taken to the infirmary for observation until he wakes up. Abraham hoists Morgan over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, leaving for the infirmary with Rosita. With Morgan gone she turns to Carol; however she’s unable to get to her with Daryl’s protective stance looming over her.

“Daryl? Daryl I gotta check her over.” Denise’s attempts to get Daryl to move failed.

Rick stepped in, putting a hand on Daryl’s shoulder, grounding him. “Hey, Hey Daryl, look at me. Come on.” Daryl slowly lifted his gaze from Carol to Rick but keeping her hand in his, stopping her from leaving him. Now with Daryl’s attention Rick explains; “You gotta step back and let her do her thing. You want Carol to be okay? Yeah so you need to let go. Come on, just a step that’s it.”

Daryl eventually complied, taking a step small enough that Denise could just get to Carol but still close enough to be able to get back in his spot when she was done. Rick watched Daryl, how his eyes bore holes into Carol, practically willing her to wake up with just the lost look in his eyes as he wasn’t able to hold her hand anymore. Denise did her thing, she checked for a response in her hands, legs and feet and concluded that there was no immediate paralysis to her that she can see but had blunt force trauma to her back. Daryl’s breath hitched. Wolf boy is dead.

Rick made a mental note to ask Denise what happened in here, how one guy got the upper hand on two of his strongest people. Something wasn’t right here.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A soon as Carol was given the ‘okay’ to move, with one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders, Daryl carefully lifted Carol up bridal style, making sure to position her head in the crook of his neck so he had the constant reassurance of her warm breath on his neck, letting him know that she’s still with him.

They made their way out of the make-shift jail cell and up the stairs, heading to the infirmary. Rick was leading, and assuring passing by residences that the unconscious Carol is alive and fine. Daryl followed slowly behind Rick; careful not to jolt Carol too much, with Tara and Denise in tow walking hand in hand. Rick knew that he needed the full story from Denise but right now he gave her time to reassure Tara over and over again that she is perfectly fine.

 As they entered the infirmary, Denise broke away from Tara and informed them of which direction the last free bed is. It was the bed next to Morgan’s. 

Daryl lowered Carol down onto the bed and with all of his will power he removed his arms from around her. His body was now left feeling cold from the lack of contact and reassurance of her warm breath on his neck that she provided him, so instead he stood next to her and held her hand, occasionally letting his fingers ghost over her wrist allowing himself to feel her pulse steadily beating.

How long he stood there he wasn’t quite sure. His mind was filled with all the missed opportunities to tell her how he feels, with all the missed time they could have spent together but didn’t because he went on unsuccessful, and sometimes pointless, runs. In all of his efforts to ‘try’ like she had asked him to when they first arrived in Alexandria, he forgot to ‘try’ _with_ her, meaning that they were trying individually instead of as their usual team. He was so wrapped up in the thought of showing her that he can give Alexandria a try that he actually forgot to _show_ her how hard he’s tried, resulting in them going their separate ways with their own personal missions. They both knew that they could go to each other for help in a heartbeat with any issue, that wasn’t the problem; it was their closeness and intimate connection that he was worried that she wouldn’t feel with him since his absence.

He’ll know when she wakes up…. _If_ she wakes up, Daryl thought. _No._ he scolded himself. _Can’t think like that. She’s gonna wake up and you’re gonna grow some damn balls and tell her how ya feel otherwise there ain’t gonna be a next time. She’ll move on without you._

All the while Daryl was having his inner turmoil, he had failed to hear Michonne coming up behind him with a chair. She placed her hand on his shoulder, gently pushing down and guiding him into the seat because let’s face it; everyone could see that Daryl was about to drop but he was too deep into blaming himself for not being there that he wouldn’t even grant himself the luxury of resting his legs.

“She’s a trooper, she’s got this don’t you worry.” Michonne reassured Daryl, aware of the fact that he’s probably so far into his head that he never heard a word of anything she says.

Resting his elbows on his knees, Daryl clasped Carol hand between both of his, bowing his head and brought the hands to his forehead. He surprised Michonne by replying in a broken whisper. “Then why ain’t she waking up?”

Michonne’s heart broke; in that moment Daryl was just a broken little boy. Taking a breath, Michonne crouched down next to Daryl as if comforting a small child, “Do you remember back when we were last in Atlanta? When you brought Noah back to the church and you told us what went down while you two were searching for Beth. I remember you telling us that you and Carol were in a car that fell from a bridge. A high bridge might I add. I then distinctively remember a tale of how you watched her get hit by another car. Am I correct?” Daryl tensed as the unsettling images of that day appeared in his mind, but still nodded yes. Michonne gently pushed the hair out of his eyes as she continued, “Good. Now if my math is correct and I would be worried if I got this wrong, then that would be two severe car accidents for Carol in the space of only a few hours. When we got to her the next day she was walking out of that building and wouldn’t rest even when we got back on the road straight after. For something that should have had at least a three week bed resting period, I don’t remember that woman ever giving up any time to rest.”

Daryl turned to her, his look asking for what point she is trying to make.

Michonne continued, “What I’m trying to say is, that in all the time that I’ve known Carol, I have never seen the woman stop to rest. She’s so stubborn she’ll put everyone else’s wellbeing before her own. Right now…Right now you can see it as a godsend. Denise said it’s just a matter of time before she wakes up; her body has shut itself down for it to be able to repair. I can guarantee you that as soon as she _does_ wake up, she’ll try and hop right out of that bed to make room for someone who she’ll claim will need it more.” Daryl cracked a small smile at the truthfulness of Michonne’s point. “Think of this time as positive, her body is making itself rest of all of the times that she wouldn’t let herself. It’s shitty circumstances, I know, but it’s well needed time.”

Michonne stood up and Daryl lifted his head up enough to make quick eye contact but soon turned his face forward, shutting his eyes and bringing his and Carols clasped hands to his lips, he looked deep in thought, taking all of Michonne’s valid points into consideration. At that moment all he could muster was a nod as a thank you. Michonne wasn’t looking for thanks, she understood that when the person you love is hurt, you need things put in perspective and to be reassured that it isn’t the end. With a squeeze to his shoulder, she silently left the two alone.

“He **WHAT?!** ” Rick’s bellowing voice made Daryl’s head whip round. Kissing the back of Carol’s hand he then gently let go and settled it back down on the bed as he stood to investigate the commotion.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked Rick and Denise as he positioned himself so that Carol was in his eye line.

“The Wolf guy that was in the cell, he wasn’t hiding in there from their attack. Morgan _put_ him in there; he didn’t tell anyone that he was hiding the psychopath down there. It was stupid and it was dangerous and for what? He thought he could convert him to the good side? I don’t think so. The wolf and his gang threatened our people’s lives; he doesn’t deserve a second chance. He’s lucky that’s all that the Wolf did to them, they could have died!”

“Wait.” Denise spoke up. “The Wolf only hurt Morgan, he never done anything to Carol, all the time she was conscious down there his hands were tied up.”

“What’re tryna say?” Daryl asked.

“When I was stuck down there with him, Carol suddenly came down and tried to kill him. Morgan stood between them claiming that all life is precious and that she didn’t need to kill him. Carol said that she would kill Morgan to get past if it meant that the people she loved could be safe. An actual fight broke out between the two and it ended with Morgan having Carol in some kind of hold before he lifted her up and slammed her into the ground soon followed by the Wolf knocking Morgan unconscious and then him taking me outside at gunpoint but then you guys know that part…” Denise trailed off.

“He-he _body slammed_ her into the ground?” Rick asked, stunned. “Morgan?  A fully grown man, a man that claims to not want to hurt people, _body slammed_ a woman half of his size onto solid concrete floor?” Denise slowly nodded.

“Nah” Daryl said while shaking his head with a look of absolute disgust on his face. “That bastard ain’t gonna be anywere near her when either of them wakes up. Drag him outside, feed him to the walkers.” Daryl was seeing red and was already making his way to Morgan’s bed as he spoke.

“Wait” Rick interjected. “We cuff him in another room until he wakes up and we can question him. He’s one of us, he’s not too far gone just yet, I can reach him and bring back the Morgan I once knew. He did save your life remember.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t ask him to! And I ain’t giving him no pillow neither.” Daryl bit back as he picked up Morgan’s feet, digging his fingers in extra hard to order to cause him some kind of added discomfort for when he wakes up, Rick grabbed the head end and they carried Morgan off out of the room as their new prisoner.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was just passing by the 24 hour mark when Daryl started losing hope that she would never wake up. He hadn’t so much as looked away from her sleeping form, let alone left her side. Michonne’s past maternal instincts had kicked in and she had been Daryl’s only source of nutrition; bringing him food and water every now and then, the only way to coax him into accepting any of it was informing him that he’s still gotta make sure he’s alive and kicking for when Carol does wake up and that won’t happen if he doesn’t take care of himself.

The infirmary was pretty much dead, the other residents of the beds had cleared out due to none of them really having any major injuries. Denise quietly drifted through every once in a while to check in on any other changes, apart from that it was just Daryl and Carol there alone. It was in the dead of night and Daryl’s head was resting on Carol’s leg, he had taken to murmuring pleas for her to wake up in order to fill the deafening silence.

The last thing that Carol remembers before everything went black was being in a heated fight, a fight that she was very much losing. When she did begin to come too, everything was too heavy, mostly due to a heavy pressure on her legs, everything hurt and she found opening her eyes a damned near impossible task to do. Her body did the natural thing anyone would do in that situation; she began to panic. Her mind going into a turmoil; she was scared, where was she? Was she alive? Is she in hell? Was this all a dream and she’s back with Ed now unable to move due to another beating from him? What about Daryl? Daryl. She worried that he was the one to of had to put her down if she turned into a walker. He had already dealt with so much; she didn’t want her final act on this earth to be a burden to him, someone else should have put her down.

Carol tried to break out of the numbness that she was being held captive in, the more she tried, the more panicked she got.

A deep keening sound erupted from the back of Carol’s throat, it disturbed Daryl’s half slumber that he was in enough for him to lift his head up quickly at the sound of pure agony. Absolutely dumb-stricken with what to do, he watched as Carol’s chest violently heaved as her breathing quickened and the sound of despair turned into terrified screams. Breaking out of his trace, he began to attempt to wake her up, to make her open her eyes, to ground her and tell her that she’s alive and safe. Nothing was working. Was she having a night terror? Is she sleeping or stuck in a coma? Either way Daryl was confused and deeply concerned.

At the sound of all the commotion, near enough at the same time Denise hurried in from upstairs and Rick burst into the room, positioned with a gun out from the back room he was guarding Morgan in. Denise being very familiar with intense panic attacks, acted straight away; walking over to the bed and attempting to wake Carol up by pinching hard to the skin under the upper part of the arm, it’s one of the most sensitive parts of the body and will surely do the trick Denise thought. It didn’t work. Daryl was shaking her and calling her name, Rick was hovering around on alert looking extremely concerned but absolutely lost as to how he could help. Denise decided it was time for desperate measures; grabbing Carol’s hand, she hooked around Carol’s middle finger and pulled, she pulled it out of its socket, dislocated it and quickly back in. This caused Carol to scream in pain and open her eyes but they weren’t there, they were glazed, she was somewhere else in her mind and she was still panicking. Denise tried to relay breathing techniques that she had used for herself but she just wasn’t getting through to her.

Daryl had an idea; he read about how to comfort those around you when they are panicking after a traumatic event, he read it when he was a kid and his daddy was hurting him, he kept it in mind thinking that it might be helpful in the future. _Here goes nothin’_ Daryl thought to himself as he pulled Carol up into a sitting position and climbed in behind her. Carol was sitting between his legs and her back to his chest, he pinned her swinging arms to her sides before she hurt herself and placed her hands on his knees, allowing her to tightly grip onto his jeans as the lack of oxygen started to become painful for her and he begun. Calmly, yet sternly he started talking to her to bring her back into the now,

“C’mon, I want you to breathe with me; we’ll slow this down together. Feel my chest, feel it moving in and out. Breathe like me…breathe like me. Come back to me, I know it hurts; be strong sweetheart, it’ll pass…it’ll pass.” A long pause filled with the sound of Carol’s painful breathing, her legs squirming and her hands were grabbing Daryl’s jeans in tight fists as her chest heaved with the agonizing restriction but Daryl continued, placing his hand on the middle of her chest, trying to make their breathing match, he wasn’t giving up on her. “Don’t do this to me; you can’t leave me here…not again. I _love_ you. Fear is feeding; don’t be afraid of what’s happening. _Believe_ this is going to pass, believe it! Just wait, don’t be afraid, the air is coming. Believe. We don’t have to be afraid. It’s about to pass, here it comes, don’t be afraid. Here comes the air.” The fisted hands slowly loosen and eventually let go, her body little by little slumping against Daryl’s, he’s getting through to her. “Don’t be afraid, Carol. Feel my chest, breathe with me. Together. The air is going to our lungs.” A deep, emotional sigh from Daryl; “ _Together._ ” His hand on her chest wraps around her torso, hugging them together, resting his cheek on her head still breathing deeply, his voice begins to crack. “We’re the same…we’re the same. C’mon sweetheart.” Carol’s breathing is still slightly elevated but is steadily slowing.

“Daryl…?” The broken whisper is barely heard leaving Carol’s lips but Daryl got it. Eyes now open and aware of the concerned audience of Rick, Denise and now Michonne holding a tray with food and water, she turns her head slightly into Daryl’s chest at an attempt to hide her embarrassment of looking so weak but at the same time, being too exhausted to care.

Still hugging her close, he lifts his hand to brush her hair away from her sweaty face and places a light kiss to her temple. “I’m here, sweetheart, _we’re_ here. You’re safe, nobody’s gonna hurt ya, I got ch’ya, kay?”

Michonne seeing the intimate scene in front of her, discreetly grabs Rick and Denise’s attention to tell them they should leave Daryl and Carol be. Before leaving, Michonne sets the tray on the bedside table and lightly runs a comforting hand down Carol’s leg as she walks by. Denise informs Daryl to make sure Carol tries to eat something and to make sure that she drinks plenty, emphasising to call for her if there’s any changes or worries he has. Rick doesn’t interact with either of them, choosing to not disrupt their moment; he always knew that Daryl had a tender heart but had not seen it in action until now. He knew there was something special between the two, they always denied it but he knew…that’s deep love.

All three headed out, Rick being the last one, he was still able to hear the two; “I’m fine, Daryl. You don’t have to burden yourself by staying with me like this you must be tired, I’m sorry.” Carol said to Daryl thinking that they were alone.

“Nah, I ain’t letting you go no more. Ya stuck with me. And you ain’t getting’ out of this bed til you’re healed no matter how many times you say ya ‘fine’. I ain’t buyin’ it” Daryl bit back jokingly.

“Alright, but snuggle down, pookie. I’m tired.” said Carol.

“Yes ma’am!” Daryl said mockingly and laughed.

Their conversation ended as Rick shut the door behind him and he smiled. _I knew it._ He thought to himself. _Pure love and adoration._

**Author's Note:**

> What Denise done to wake Carol up (the pinching (try it, it hurts) and the finger dislocating - don't try it) seems silly and a bit extreme but a doctor had to actually do that to me to get me to wake up when I was unconscious and not responding, it does work and you do wake up screaming. 
> 
> Another tip, sitting behind someone like Daryl did and getting them to match your breathing when they're having a panic attack works too, my family and friends do it for me but without the sappy words haha. - PRO TIP!
> 
> I quote the speech Daryl does to help Carol breathe from a film but if you can guess what movie it's from then you get a high five. 
> 
> Whether this is a one-shot or chaptered I'm not too sure just yet. I doubt many people will even read it, it's not the best written thing in the world to be honest but it's been on my bucket list to write fanfiction so here I am! 
> 
> Right... I talk a lot when I'm nervous! But please comment and tell me what you think and maybe some helpful criticism? But be gentle! I'm new to this...


End file.
